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Exeter Chiefs demolish Worcester at Sixways

James Short touches down for Exeter Chiefs against Worcester at Sixways Getty Images

Exeter Chiefs ran in eight tries as they extended their impressive winning run against Worcester Warriors with a crushing 57-22 victory at Sandy Park.

A woeful Worcester performance saw the Warriors crash to their ninth successive defeat at the hands of dominant Exeter, who also ran up a half-century of points in winning last season's corresponding fixture.

Jack Yeandle, Will Chudley, Olly Woodburn, Carl Rimmer, Thomas Waldrom, James Short and Ian Whitten all crossed for Exeter tries, while the home side were also awarded a penalty try. Gareth Steenson slotted over six conversions as well as an early penalty, with Joe Simmonds adding the extras to the final try from Whitten after taking over the kicking duties.

Worcester scored three late tries, through Josh Adams, Wynand Olivier and Dewald Potgeiter, but Exeter had already run up 45 points before they got the first of them.

Jamie Shillcock scored the remainder of the Warriors points with a penalty and two conversions. Shillcock actually had a chance to put Worcester ahead after Woodburn was penalised for tackling Chris Pennell in the air in the fifth minute.

However, the young fly-half was off-target with his kick and the visitors never threatened again. Exeter opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Woodburn made amends for his mistake by brushing aside two weak tackles to secure his side a platform in the Worcester 22, from which Yeandle finished off a driving line-out to put Chiefs in front. Steenson converted and added a penalty as Exeter dominated the opening quarter with their opponents struggling to deal with the pace of the Chiefs' game.

It was only a matter of time before the home side extended their advantage and they did that when Chudley dived over from close range in the 21st minute, with Steenson's conversion giving Exeter a commanding 17-0 lead.

Shillcock put the Warriors on the scoreboard with a penalty but the respite was only temporary as referee Matthew O'Grady, on his Premiership debut, awarded a penalty try to Exeter after the visitors dragged down a driving maul with Worcester lock Darren Barry given a yellow card for committing the offence.

Exeter were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage before the break as Worcester held firm to go in 24-3 down, and the Chiefs suffered a blow when full-back Phil Dollman left the field with a leg injury to be replaced by Sam Hill.

However, the momentum was still with last season's Premiership finalists at the start of the second half and they added their fourth try three minutes in - picking up their bonus point in the process - when Woodburn finished off a flowing move.

Barry returned from the sin-bin as Worcester brought on scrum-half Michael Dowsett and flanker Sam Lewis, who made his long-awaited Premiership return after being out injured for the whole of last season.

But they were unable to halt Exeter's onslaught and they soon conceded a fifth try when Exeter replacement Rimmer forced his way over from close range. Waldrom was next over the line before Worcester scored their first try when a well-judged kick from Shillcock was collected by Adams to score.

Short's try three minutes later took Exeter past the 50-point mark as the third quarter ended before Waldrom was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

Olivier and Potgieter picked up consolation tries for Worcester in the last 10 minutes, but Whitten scored Exeter's eighth try in between them to help complete a miserable afternoon for the Warriors, who have now lost four on the trot in the Aviva Premiership.